Lighting fixture



Aug. 9, 1949. E. F. GUTH 2,478,822

LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed Jan. 50, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 9, 1949. E.F. GU TH LIGHTING FIXTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 30, 1946 PatentedAug. 9, 1949 M Teo- STATES a 1 orms .1 This invention remtesto lighting'rnxtures, and more particularly to lighting fixtures io'r tubularlamps.

Among the objects of th'is invention are the provision of lightingfixtures fo'r tubular lamps, which are recessed into Walls Tor ceilings;the provision of lighting fixtures oi the type described which are orstandard size and may be used in multiple units; and'th'e rovisionorlightlng :fixtu-res of the type indicated which, while or standard'sizeto accommodate standard size tubular lamps, also are oran over alldimension to fit standard building construction units. Other objectswill beinpart apparent and-in part pointed out The invention accordurglycomprises t o elements and oombinations'oi elements, features ofconstruction, and arrangements :of parts which will be exemplified inthe structures hereinafter described, and the scope of the applicationof which will be indicatedinthe following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one of variouspossible-'elirbodlments-ozf the invention is illustrated,

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectionrthrougn a lighting 1" fixture embodying theinvention;

Fig. 2 is an and elevation of the fixture; V

Fig. 3 is a section on an enlarged "scale taken on line 3-3 on Fig. 2';

Fig. 4 is a section taken onhne 4 4 on Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan of the right end of the Fig. 1 structure;

Fig. 6 is a top plan of the lighting fixture; V

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view showing two sockets with a tubular lamp inplace;

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic View showing a top plan of the light fixture;and,

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view showing three units mounted together.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views of the drawings.

There has been a constant trend toward standardization of constructionmaterials. building and installation easier and less costly. Thistendency extends to lighting fixtures as well as to constructionmaterials customarily used with them. For example, tubular lightingfixtures are frequently recessed into ceilings and Walls. The surfacesof such ceilings or walls are frequently of sound insulat'ng material,which is customarily made and installed in units which are 12 inches or24 inches in length. Lighting fixtures tor fluorescent and other tubularlamps are customarily =2 lI/taims. "(01. EMF-51.11)

. 2 458 inchestmien'gth from the outer edge of one socket to the outeredge of the other.

However suoh lig-liting fixtures for fluorescent and other tubular lampscustomarily have end. plates outside ofthe sockets. Such end :platesoccupya material amount For room slnce they are at least inch thick.Lighting fixtures for lamps, such i'as fluorescent farms, are rrequenuyinstalled in multiplies/wits. Where this is done a plurality ofind-ivldualifiiituresiis installed 'end to end to harm a larger fixture.When this is done the sumof thethicknesses theend plates in'oreases-..in accordance with thenumher of units employed; whenla-haliuooenormoreunits are installed, and this is not an infreduentoccurrence,

. theywlllnot nt into the steel structure which This makes supportsacoustical panels nor can the panel's be fitted-in without sfiecialcutting and fitting. This greatly increases 'thercostfand dilllculty oiinstallmg such fixtures. f

The present invention will be illustrated as apr ilied toilightingnxture'sror tubular fluorescent lamps. It'wlll be understood howeverthat it is also applicable to othertypes 'oftubula'r lambs.

Referring now to'th'e drawings, numeral l rep resents alighting-'fixtureofitne present invention. Thisfixture comprisesmucosa-shapes unit in eluding a supporting channel 3 haying end plates 5attached to each end thereof; The channel 3 is mounted inlnvertedxfiosltionwith its base 1 up per-most and forming the ton of thefixture. Supporting'brackcts 9 and H are attached to channel 3. Thecustomary electrical ei uipinent issupportd within channel- 3.

Brackets 9 and i l sil'pimrtithe customary sock= ets [3 at either end ofthe structure within the trough. Bracket l I has openings 1 5 for theusual iuselplugs' (not shown). n'ooverll is mounted under the channel 3to provide a reflecting surface in oombination'with side panels l9.

The fixture has'the usual-accessories such as ledges 2| for attachingth'ifixture toth wall or ceiling indicated generally" at '23, notches 25for the attachment ofdifiusers, and linockout'plugs 21, 29 and 36for'theintroduction ofwiring'. Threaded sockets 31 are'provided forattaching the fixture by suspension iithat is preferred.-

End plates 5 have areas 83 almost completely relieved therefrom andmoved outward a dis= tance equal to the thioknessot end plates 5; Theseareas 33 are of the same configuration as sockets l3 and are locatedopposite thereto. Sockets l3 are in turn supported on brackets 9 and l Ifitting within the'rel'ieved areas 33 so that their outer surface isapproximately parallel on a fluorescent fixture.

3 with the outer surface of end plates 5. Sockets [3 are located thestandard distance apart (for example 48 inches) so as to accommodatestandard tubular fluorescent lamps.

Shield II is held in place removably by bolts 31 to permit easy accessto the transformer and the other electrical equipment located in channel3. Sockets 13 are held in place on brackets 9 and I! by bolts 39. 7

Referring now to Figs. 7-9, an important advantage of the presentconstruction is diagrammatically illustrated. Standard fluorescent lamps35 are shown in place between sockets [3. In this way the over alldistance between the outer surface of the sockets I3 may be regarded asX which in the illustration given above would be 48 inches. If we thenletY equal the thickness of the end plates it will be seen that the overall length of the fixture (see Fig. 8) will be X+2Y where, as in theillustration given above, the end plates are of an inch thick, X+2Y will1 equal 48 and inches. In this respect a single lighting unit of thepresent invention will occupy a space equal to the space customarilyoccupied by. a standard fixture for tubular lamps if the areas 33 areleft in place. In general it is preferred that these areas be left inplace to meet the Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. requirements and so asto prevent passage of undesired illumination through the sides of thefixture. Where such passage'is not objectionable and where the socketsare not required to be covered the areas 33 may be easily and quicklyremoved merely by knocking them away from the fixture and the resultingfixture will then occupy merely the distance X (48 inches.)

However one of the most important advantages of the fixture of thepresent invention is illustrated in Fig. 9. Where a multiple unitassembly is to be installed in the customary way, that is by utilizing aseries of fixtures located end to end in a long line, the areas 33 areknocked out in all of the end plates except the end plates which will beexposed at either end of the multiple fixture. In this way it will beseen that such a multi le fixture does not increase the space occupiedbecause of the presence of intervening end p ates which otherwise add tothe length of the entire multiple assembly. The only end plates to addto the len th of the multiple unit are the exposed end plates at eachend. In Fig. 9 for example. the total length of the multiple structureis BX-l-ZY which is merely 3 times the unit length of the tubular lampsplus sockets. plus the thickness of two end plates. In previously knownstructures the len th of such a multiple structure would not be 3X+2Ybut 3X+6Y,

The fixture of the present invention therefore may be recessed into aceiling or wall composed of standard construction units such asacoustical panels without special cutting and fitting. Such a multiplefixture complies with the rules of the Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.that no openings are permitted in the fixture larger than one inch andeven these are restricted to certain locations Many fixtures have beeninstalled in the past in multiple assembly but even with a special verythin spider for connection the lamps are pinched tight and so do not fitinto the regulation space between sockets.

These push-back knockout areas 33 protect the socket and live parts ofthe fixture during transportation and until' installation. The fixturemeets the Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.

requirements and all fixtures may be manufactured alike using regularstock. No special dies or special equipment are required. Fixtures may 5be shipped complete with metal end plates intact and so installed.However wher additional units are to be connected to make multipleinstallations, the steel socket plates 33 between units are merelyknocked away from the rest of end plates 5. No special parts arerequired or special fixtures without end plates in order to mak multipleinstallations. No special connection or spider section, as is generallyused, is necessary with the fixtures of the present invention.

Although the knockout sections 33 are shown as having the sameconfiguration as sockets l3, sections 33 need not be exactly so formed.They may be larger in area than socket l3 and of somewhat differentconfigurations so long as they permit the outer surface of sockets 13 tobe substantially aligned with the outer surface of end plates 5.

In viewof the above, it will be seen that the several objects of theinvention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As many changes could bemade in the above constructions withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention, it is intended that allmatter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanyingdrawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

I claim:

1. A lighting fixture for tubular lamps comprising a, trough-shaped unithaving an elongate lamp socket supporting-member, side panels, and endplates, integral portions of the end plates adjacent the ends of thesupporting member being outwardly relieved a distance approximating ththickness of the plates and constituting knockout portions, and a lampsocket mounted at each end of the supporting member, extending into thetrough; and fitting within the relieved knockout portion of therespective end 5 plate, the knockout portions having sustantially thesame configuration asthe lamp sockets.

2. A lighting fixture for tubular lamps comprising a unit of invertedtrough shape having a top, side panels, and end plates, integral por- 50tions of the end plates being outwardly relieved a distanceapproximating the thickness of the plates and constituting knockoutportions, and a lamp socket mounted at each end of the unit fittingwithin the relieved knockout portion of 55 the respective end plate andfree .of the knockout portion so that the latter may be removed ifdesired, said lamp sockets extending into the trough and being adaptedto support a tubular lamp extending lengthwise in the trough, the 60knockout portions having substantially the same configuration as thelamp sockets.

EDWIN F. GUTH.

REFERENCES CITED 55 The following references are of record in the fileof this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number

